I’ve pretty much been active for the majority of my life. From the age of 6, I've played football and so, staying in shape wasn’t a worry. I've always been a sporty lad and would gladly partake in any sport aside from trampolining (something I despise because I somehow always, end up injuring myself). I’m now 26 years old, run 4-5 times per week consistently, and occasionally dabble in a game of football. Don’t worry, this blog post isn’t about showing off my gym routine or my fitness lifestyle. It’s more to understand the problem of exercising isn’t in and of itself, it’s more so sticking to a schedule.
2019, 3 years ago, my friend and I decided this was the year we were to hit the gym 6 days a week and nothing would deter us from achieving that. Prior to 2019, our perseverance was non-existent, but our temporary motivation is what got us in the gym every now and then. We did really well for 1-2 weeks and then missed a few sessions for no legitimate reason. This unfortunately snowballs and the drive eventually disappears after repetitive excuses and absences. This time it was different, why? We had no idea, we just didn’t want to stop and had goals in mind to accomplish. Several months into starting our gym endeavour, attending 6 days a week, we saw incredible results: strength and muscular. After consistently going to the gym for 7-8 months we had formed an unbreakable habit until hiccups began. Multiple factors played a part, but the main issue was the 2020 pandemic. Of course, we could have continued doing some sort of exercise outdoors or indoors, but we thought it was useless unless we went to the gym. Since then, my friend is back at the gym, and I never found the interest to go back although I plan to in the near future.
The routine of going to the gym 6 days a week was lost after the inability to attend. However, had we continued to do another form of exercise with the same frequency, going back to the gym would have been no task. The mistake of breaking the habit was the death of any future results
The issue isn’t exercising, it’s the commitment
For many, the physical act is the easy part, and the mental factor is what prevents us from moving forward. How many times have we been too lazy to work out? Yet once we start, endorphins start releasing and 9 times out of 10 it concludes an amazing session. It can be hard to stay on schedule, especially when we have other commitments or even distractions. Starting from a manageable weekly routine and gradually increasing the volume and frequency is the sure way to continue on the right path.
When I started my challenge to run a 5k under 30 minutes, the program I followed only consisted of 3 days per week with very low intensity. It was an easy plan to follow which didn’t demand much physical exertion. Five weeks into the program I was used to the physical toll, and I did want to increase frequency. However, I didn’t want to deter from the program and potentially injure myself or not enjoy the training load.
10 weeks passed and I upped to 4 days
A further 6 weeks later, I upped to 5 days
And now 20 weeks in, I’ve formed a strong habit that I don’t think I will ever break unless I’m ill or injured. The tiny steps I took have now instilled a mindset that translates into other areas of life. The craziest part is that it was all happening subconsciously. I didn’t intend to form a habit, all I wanted was the goal of a 30-minute 5k (which I achieved). This small epiphany I’ve experienced is happening as I type this very blog, amazing.
It's a shame it’s taken this long to get to where I am, but I should be grateful regardless of how long it took. Our hectic lifestyles are not easy to manage and adding exercise to the mess doesn’t help the situation. Having said this, don’t overlook the benefits of exercise and how it can add to your life. The endorphin and dopamine release are game changers and I promise you the added effort of implementing regular exercise into your schedule will serve you justice. I hope I never stop exercising and at a minimum stick to 4 days per week, God willing. I hope the same for you too.